174Driving and operatingHill start assistThe system helps prevent unintendedmovement when driving away on
inclines.
When releasing the foot brake after
stopping on an incline, the brakes
remain on for a further two seconds.
The brakes release automatically as
soon as the vehicle begins to
accelerate.
The hill start assist is not active during
an Autostop.Ride control systems
Traction Control system
The Traction Control system (TC) is a component of the Electronic Stability
Control.
TC improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels starts to
spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
TC is operational as soon as the
control indicator b extinguishes.
When TC is active b flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 115.
Deactivation
TC can be switched off when spinning of drive wheels is required: press b
briefly.
Control indicator k illuminates.
Driving and operating175
TC is reactivated by pressing b
again.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Electronic Stability Control Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip. It also
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the wheels are braked individually. This
considerably improves the driving
stability of the vehicle on slippery road
surfaces.
ESC is operational as soon as the
control indicator b extinguishes.
When ESC is active b flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 115.
Deactivation
For very high-performance driving
ESC can be deactivated: hold b
depressed for approx. 5 seconds.
Control indicator n illuminates.
ESC is reactivated by pressing b
again. If the TC system was
previously disabled, both TC and
ESC are reactivated.
ESC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Interactive driving system
Flex Ride Flex Ride driving system allows thedriver to select between three driving
modes:
■ SPORT mode: press SPORT, LED
illuminates.
■ TOUR mode: press TOUR, LED
illuminates.
■ Normal mode: neither SPORT or
TOUR are pressed, no LED
illuminates.
Deactivate SPORT mode and TOUR
mode by pressing the corresponding
button once more.
176Driving and operating
In each driving mode Flex Ride
networks the following electronic systems:
■ Continuous Damping Control
■ Accelerator Pedal Control
■ Steering Control
■ Automatic transmission
SPORT modeThe settings of the systems are
adapted to a sportier driving style:
■ Damping of shock absorbers reacts
more stiffly to provide better contact with the road surface.
■ The engine reacts more quickly to the accelerator pedal.
■ Steering support is reduced.
■ Shift points of automatic transmission occur later.
■ With SPORT mode activated, the illumination of main instruments
changes from white to red.
TOUR modeThe settings of the systems are
adapted to a comfort driving style:
■ Damping of shock absorbers reacts
more softly.
■ Accelerator pedal reacts with standard settings.
■ Steering support is in standard mode.
■ Shift points of automatic transmission occur in a comfort
mode.
■ Illumination of main instruments is white.
Normal mode
All settings of the systems are
adapted to standard values.
Drive mode control Within each manual selected driving
mode SPORT, TOUR or Normal, the
Drive Mode Control (DMC) detects
and analyses continuously the real
driving characteristics, responses by
the driver, and the active dynamic
state of the vehicle. If necessary, the
control unit of DMC automatically
178Driving and operating
For safety reasons, the cruise controlcannot be activated until the foot
brake has been operated once.
Activation in first gear is not possible.
Do not use the cruise control if it is not advisable to maintain a constant
speed.
With automatic transmission, only
activate cruise control in automatic
mode.
Control indicator m 3 117.
Switching on Press m, control indicator m in
instrument cluster illuminates white.
Activation
Accelerate to the desired speed and
turn thumb wheel to SET/-, the
current speed is stored and
maintained. Control indicator m in
instrument cluster illuminates green. Accelerator pedal can be released.
Vehicle speed can be increased by depressing the accelerator pedal.
When the accelerator pedal is
released, the previously stored speed
is resumed.
Cruise control remains activated
while gearshifting.
Increase speed With cruise control active, hold thumb
wheel turned to RES/+ or briefly turn
to RES/+ repeatedly: speed
increases continuously or in small
increments.
Alternatively accelerate to the desired speed and store by turning to SET/-.Reduce speed
With cruise control active, hold thumb
wheel turned to SET/- or briefly turn to
SET/- repeatedly: speed decreases
continuously or in small increments.
Deactivation
Press y, control indicator m in
instrument cluster illuminates white.
Cruise control is deactivated. Last
stored speed remains in memory for
later speed resume.
Automatic deactivation: ■ Vehicle speed is below approx. 30 km/h.
■ Vehicle speed is above approx. 200 km/h.
■ The brake pedal is depressed.
■ The clutch pedal is depressed for a
few seconds.
■ Selector lever is in N.
■ Engine speed is in a very low range.
■ The Traction Control system or Electronic Stability Control is
operating.
184Driving and operating
■ Electronic Stability Control isoperating.
■ There is no traffic and nothing detected on the road sides for
several minutes. In this case there are no radar echoes and the sensor may report that it is blocked.
■ Collision imminent braking system is applying the brakes.
■ Radar sensor is blocked by an ice or water film.
■ A fault is detected in the radar, engine or brake system.
When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated automatically, the control
indicator m illuminates white and a
warning symbol is displayed as a pop- up in the Driver Information Centre.
The stored speed is maintained.
9 Warning
When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated, the driver must take
over full brake and engine control.
Switching off
Press C to switch off adaptive cruise
control. The control indicator m
extinguishes. The stored speed is
deleted.
Switching off the ignition also
switches off adaptive cruise control
and deletes the stored speed.
Driver's attention
■ Use adaptive cruise control carefully on bends or mountainroads, as it can lose the vehicle
ahead and require time to detect it
again.
■ Do not use the system on slippery roads as it can create rapid
changes in tyre traction (wheel spinning), so that you could lose
control.
■ Do not use adaptive cruise control during rain, snow or heavy dirt, as
the radar sensor can be covered by
a water film, dust, ice or snow. This
reduces or completely suppresses
the visibility. In case of sensor
blockage, clean the sensor cover.
System limits ■ The system's automatic brake force
does not permit hard braking and
the braking level may not be
sufficient to avoid a collision.
■ After a sudden lane change, the system needs a certain time to
detect the next preceding vehicle.
Driving and operating207
At speeds below 56 km/h the system
is inoperable.
Fault
The lane departure warning system
may not operate properly when:
■ The windscreen is not clean.
■ There are adverse environmental conditions like heavy rain, snow,
direct sunlight or shadows.
The system can not operate when no
lane marking is detected.Fuel
Fuel for petrol enginesOnly use unleaded fuel that complies
with European standard EN 228 or
E DIN 51626-1 or equivalent.
Your engine is capable of running
with E10 fuel that fulfills these
standards. E10 fuel contains up to
10 % bioethanol.
Use fuel with the recommended
octane rating 3 276. Use of fuel with
too low an octane rating can reduce
engine power and torque and slightly increases fuel consumption.Caution
Do not use fuel or fuel additives
that contain metallic compounds
such as manganese-based
additives. This may cause engine
damage.
Caution
Use of fuel that does not comply to EN 228 or E DIN 51626-1 or
equivalent can lead to deposits or
engine damage and may affect
your warranty.
Caution
Use of fuel with too low an octane
rating could lead to uncontrolled combustion and engine damage.
Fuel for diesel engines
Only use diesel fuel that complies
with EN 590.
In countries outside the European
Union use Euro-Diesel fuel with a
sulphur concentration below 50 ppm.
208Driving and operatingCaution
Use of fuel that does not comply toEN 590 or similar can lead to
engine powerloss, increased wear
or engine damage and may affect
your warranty.
Do not use marine diesel oils, heating
oils, Aquazole and similar diesel-
water emulsions. Diesel fuels must
not be diluted with fuels for petrol
engines.
Fuel for liquid gas
operation
Liquid gas is known as LPG
(Liquefied Petroleum Gas) or under
its French name GPL (Gaz de Pétrole Liquéfié). LPG is also known as
Autogas.
LPG consists mainly of propane and
butane. The octane rating is between
105 and 115, depending on the
butane proportion. LPG is stored
liquid at around 5 - 10 bar pressure.
The boiling point depends on the
pressure and mixing ratio. At ambient pressure, it is between -42 °C (pure
propane) and -0.5 °C (pure butane).Caution
The system works at an ambient
temperature of approx. -8 °C to
100 °C.
Full function of the LPG system can
only be guaranteed with liquid gas
which complies with the minimum
requirements of DIN EN 589.
Fuel selector
Pressing LPG switches between
petrol and liquid gas operation as
soon as the required parameters (coolant temperature, gas
temperature and minimum engine
speed) have been reached. The
requirements are usually fulfilled after
around 60 seconds (depending on
exterior temperature) and the first firm press on the accelerator. The LED
status shows the current operating
mode.1 off=petrol operation1 illumi‐
nates=liquid gas operation1 flashes=no switching is
possible, one type of
fuel is empty
As soon as the liquid gas tank is
empty, petrol operation is
automatically engaged until the
ignition is switched off.
Every six months, run the petrol tank
down until control indicator i
illuminates, then refuel. This helps
maintain fuel quality and system
function for petrol operation.
Driving and operating209
Fill the tank completely at regular
intervals to prevent corrosion in the
tank.
Faults and remedies
If gas mode is not possible, check the following:
■ Is there enough liquid gas present?
■ Is there enough petrol present for starting?
Due to extreme temperatures in
combination with the gas
composition, it may take slightly
longer before the system switches
from petrol to gas mode.
In extreme situations, the system may
also switch back to petrol mode if the
minimum requirements are not
fulfilled.
Seek the assistance of a workshop in the event of all other faults.Caution
Repairs and adjustments may onlybe made by trained specialists in
order to maintain the safety and
warranty on the LPG system.
Liquid gas is given a particular odour
(odorised) so that any leaks can be
detected easily.
9 Warning
If you smell gas in the vehicle or in
the immediate vicinity, switch to petrol mode immediately. No
smoking. No naked flames or
ignition sources.
If the gas odour persists, do not start
the engine. Have the cause of the
fault remedied by a workshop.
When using underground car parks,
follow the instructions of the operator
and local laws.
Note
In the event of an accident, switch off
the ignition and lights.
Fuel for natural gas
operation Use natural gas with a methane
content of approx. 78 - 99 %. L-gas
(low) has approx. 78 - 87 % and H-gas (high) has approx. 87 - 99 %. Biogas
with the same methane content can
also be used if it has been chemically
prepared and desulphurised.
Only use natural gas or biogas that complies with DIN 51624.
Liquid gas or LPG must not be used.
Fuel selector